Pneumonia
- Article
- 2021-02-18
Pneumonia is an infection that affects one or both lungs. It causes the air sacs or alveoli of the lungs to fill with fluid or pus. Bacteria, viruses or fungi can cause pneumonia. Symptoms can range from mild to severe and can include coughing with or without phlegm (a slimy substance), fever, chills, and difficulty breathing. How severe your pneumonia is depends on your age, your overall health, and the cause of your infection.
To diagnose pneumonia, your doctor will review your medical history, perform a physical exam, and order diagnostic tests, such as a chest X-ray. This information can help your doctor determine what type of pneumonia you have.
Treatment for pneumonia can include antibiotics or viral or fungal drugs. It may take several weeks to recover from pneumonia. If your symptoms get worse, see a doctor immediately. If you have severe pneumonia, you may need to go to the hospital for antibiotics given through an intravenous (IV) line and oxygen therapy.
To learn more about pneumonia, our role in clinical trials, and where to find more information, check out this health topic.
Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of pneumonia can be mild or severe. Young children, older adults, and people with serious health problems are at risk of developing more serious pneumonia or life-threatening complications.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of pneumonia can include:
- Chest pain when breathing or coughing
- Chills
- Cough with or without mucus
- Fever
- Low oxygen level in your blood, measured with a pulse oximeter
- Shortness of breath
You may also have other symptoms, including headache, muscle pain, tiredness (extreme tiredness), nausea (nausea in your stomach), vomiting, and diarrhea.
Older adults and people with severe illness or a weakened immune system may not have typical symptoms. They may have a lower temperature than normal instead of a fever. Older adults with pneumonia may feel faint or suddenly confused.
Sometimes babies don't have typical symptoms either. They may vomit, have a fever, cough, or look restless or tired and without energy. Babies may also show the following signs of breathing problems:
- Bluish tone on the skin and lips
- Grunting
- When breathing, pull the muscles in between the ribs
- Breathe quickly
- Widening of the nostrils with each breath
Complications
People with pneumonia can often be treated successfully and have no complications. Complications from pneumonia are more common in children, older adults, and people with other serious illnesses.
Complications of pneumonia that can be life-threatening include:
- Acute respiratory distress ( ARDS ) and respiratory failure , which are common complications of severe pneumonia.
- Kidney, liver, and heart damage , which occurs when these organs don't get enough oxygen to work properly or when your immune system reacts negatively to the infection.
- Necrotizing pneumonia, a condition that develops when your infection causes your lung tissue to die and form lung abscesses (sacs of tissue filled with pus). It also makes your pneumonia more difficult to treat. You may need surgery or drainage with a needle to remove the pus.
- Pleural disorders . The tissues that line the outside of your lungs can become inflamed and the chest cavity around your lungs can fill with fluid and pus.
- Sepsis , which occurs when bacteria from your lungs enter your blood and cause inflammation throughout your body.
Therapy
Pneumonia treatment depends on your risk factors and how severe your pneumonia is. Many people with pneumonia are prescribed medication and recover at home. If your pneumonia is severe you may need to be in the hospital or intensive care unit (ICU).
Medicines
Your doctor may prescribe some of the following medicines to treat your pneumonia at home or in the hospital, depending on how sick you are.
Manage at home
If your pneumonia is mild, your doctor may prescribe medication or recommend over-the-counter medicines to treat it at home.
- Antibiotics for bacterial pneumonia. Most people start to feel better after one to three days of antibiotic treatment. However, you must take antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. If you stop too soon, your pneumonia may come back.
- Antiviral drug for viral pneumonia. These drugs may not be effective against some viruses that cause pneumonia.
- Antifungals for fungal pneumonia.
- Over-the-counter medicines. Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter medicines to treat your fever and muscle pain or to help you breathe more easily. Talk to your doctor before taking a cough or cold.
Hospital management
If your pneumonia is severe, you may be treated in a hospital to receive antibiotics and fluids into your vein through an intravenous (IV) line and to receive oxygen therapy to increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. If your pneumonia is very severe, you may need a ventilator.
Procedures
Your healthcare team may need to perform surgery or surgery to remove severely infected or damaged parts of your lungs. This can help you recover and prevent your pneumonia from returning.
Recovery from pneumonia
If you've been diagnosed with pneumonia, it's important to follow your treatment plan, take steps to help your body recover, monitor your condition, and take steps to prevent your infection from spreading to others.
It may take time to recover from pneumonia. Some people feel better and can return to their normal routine within one to two weeks. For others, it can take a month or more. Most people stay tired for about a month. Talk to your doctor about when you can resume normal activities. Watch the video below to learn more about managing your recovery at home.
Follow your treatment plan
It is important that you take all of your medicines as prescribed by your doctor. If you are taking antibiotics, continue to take the medicine until it is all gone. You may start to feel better before you are done with the medicine, but you should keep taking it. If you stop too soon, the bacterial infection and your pneumonia can come back. It can also become resistant to the antibiotic, making treatment more difficult.
Take steps to help your body recover
The following steps can help your body recover from pneumonia.
- Choose heart-healthy foods , as good nutrition will help your body recover.
- Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
- Do not drink alcohol or use illegal drugs. Alcohol and illegal drugs weaken your immune system and can increase your risk of complications from pneumonia.
- Do not smoke and avoid secondhand smoke. Smoke inhalation can worsen your pneumonia. Visit Smoking and Your Heart and Your Guide to a Healthy Heart. For free smoking cessation assistance, call the National Cancer Institute's Smoking Quitline at 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848).
- Get plenty of sleep . Good quality sleep can help your body rest and improve your immune system response. For more information about sleep, visit our health topic How Sleep Works.
- Provide light physical activity . Moving around can help you regain your strength and improve your recovery. However, you can still become short of breath and overly strenuous activity can make you dizzy. Talk to your doctor about how much activity is right for you.
- Sit upright so that you feel more comfortable and can breathe more easily.
- Get several times perday a few deep breaths .
Monitor your condition
Ask your doctor when to schedule aftercare. If your symptoms haven't improved, your doctor can use a chest X-ray to diagnose other conditions that could be causing your symptoms.
Your doctor may recommend pulmonary rehabilitation to help you breathe better as your lungs recover. You may also need physical therapy to help you regain strength. Physical activity can help improve your recovery.
Pneumonia can have long-lasting effects, such as depression and worsening cardiovascular disease. Call your doctor if you get these conditions, if your symptoms suddenly get worse, or if you have trouble breathing or talking.
Take steps to protect yourself and others
The following steps can help prevent the infection from spreading to others around you.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
- Discard used tissues immediately.
- Limit contact with family and friends.
- Wash your hands often, especially after coughing and sneezing.
Some people get pneumonia again and again. If this happens, tell your doctor. Go back to Prevention for more strategies to prevent pneumonia.
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